kurt@fluke.UUCP (Kurt Guntheroth) (03/29/85)
Not another conspiracy! Oh no! Fuel cells being denied to the public?
Fuel cells produce electricity by catalytically burning some 'fuel'.
They can be made in small sizes to fit into homes, automobiles, and space
capsules. They burn their fuel very cleanly, producing electricity and
typically some innocuous waste like water.
Now the bad news: The fuel is typically some light molecule with a lot of
hydrogen in it. I have heard of fuel cells that burn hydrogen (NASA's
favorite) and methane/natural gas, and I know there are others, but I can't
remember them. These fuels are quite flammable and difficult to store,
although some progress has been made in storing hydrogen in a non-exploding
way. They also have to come from somewhere, so the energy crisis is not
eliminated. The real bad news is the catylist. Typically it is something
expensive like Platimun. Fuel cells are not used much because they are much
more expensive than competing technologies, although NASA has outfitted a
few cars and houses with them just to show there is civilian fallout from
the space program.
So, there goes your conspiracy. You too can have a clean electric car or
house with a fuel cell in it. Just go down to TRW or whoever it is that
makes them and buy one. Just be prepared to fork over a couple hundred
thousand big ones. Small price to pay for clean energy, don't you think?
--
Kurt Guntheroth
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
{uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!kurt